One interesting thing about the most recently filed securities class action lawsuits is what they have in common – that is, that while the companies sued are drawn from a surprising diversity of industries, none of them are in the financial services sector. The absence of new securities suits against financially related companies is quite
Marsh Settles “Contingent Commission” Securities Suit for $400 Million
According to its November 13, 2009 press release (here), Marsh & McLennan has agreed to pay $400 million to settle the consolidated securities class action lawsuit pending in the Southern District of New York against the company, its insurance brokerage unit, and certain former officers of the company. The company also agreed to
Guest Post: Foreign-Cubed Litigation – Developments at the Supreme Court
The D&O Diary is pleased to present the following guest blog post, written by Angelo Savino (pictured), a partner at the Cozen & O’Connor law firm. Angelo is resident in the firm’s New York office. Angelo’s guest blog post follows:
As noted in prior posts (here), the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether
ETFs: The Hot New Securities Lawsuit Targets?
Where securities class action lawsuits are concentrated tends to vary over time. At various times over the past several years, companies in the high tech sector, telecommunications category and, more recently, in the financial services industries, have found themselves for a period to be the most popular targets for plaintiffs’ securities class action attorneys. However
Latest U.S. Export: Securities Class Action Legal Services?
In an October 29, 2009 order (here, Hat Tip: Am Law Litigation Daily), Ontario Court of Justice judge Paul Perell ruled that the direct involvement of the U.S.-based law firm Milberg LLP was permissible in the securities class action lawsuit filed against Timminco Limited and pending before the court.
Timminco had
Ninth Circuit Reverses Matrixx Securities Suit Dismissal, Concludes Twombley and Tellabs Satisfied.
In an October 28, 2009 opinion (here) in a case in which the Ninth Circuit found the plaintiffs’ allegations met the heightened pleading standards of Twombley and Tellabs, the appellate court reversed the district court’s dismissal of the plaintiffs’ complaint in the Matrixx Initiatives securities class action lawsuit. The decision is
Lawsuit Against BofA Seeks a Yotta Money
Lawsuits seeking to recover large amounts of money are commonplace. But how about a claim that seeks to recover more money than exists in the entire world?
According to a September 24, 2009 order (here) by Southern District of New York Judge Denny Chin, the complaint of plaintiff Dalton Chiscolm, Jr.
The Iqbal Case and Damages Actions under the Federal Securities Laws
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Iqbal case earlier this year has generated a great deal of controversy and comment and even a proposal to overturn the decision legislatively. Iqbal does seem to be having an impact on a number of cases. An interesting question, however, is whether the Iqbal case will have an impact
Other Provocative Legal Developments Involving Rajaratnam and Galleon
It been a catastrophic week for Galleon Group and its founder, Raj Rajaratnam, with the firm reportedly about to wind itself up in the wake of the epic insider trading allegations raised against Rajaratnam. But the trading indictment is not the only recent stunning legal development involving Rajaratnam and his firm.
Among other things, on
Asset-Backed Securities Case from Earlier Era Survives Renewed Dismissal Motion
On October 19, 2009, in a securities case from an earlier era involved allegedly misleading statements regarding asset-backed securities, Southern District of New York Judge Harold Baer substantially denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss the plaintiffs’ complaint as amended, following the long-running case’s trip through the Second Circuit on interlocutory appeal. A copy of